René Dubbeldam has also acquired a thorough understanding of health systems in industrialised countries, in his capacity of Director of a Dutch regional public health organisation (GGD Flevoland) for 4 years (2004-2008).

René Dubbeldam started his career as a clinician in The Netherlands (1979-1982) and in Mozambique (1982-1985). This allowed him to develop a thorough understanding of the medical and organisational aspects of 'district health care' in low- and middle-income countries.

After his specialisation in public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Dubbeldam provided technical support to the development of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) in African countries, through the World Health Organization (WHO).

From 1988-1992, he led a regional public health programme in Mali (Ségou), implemented by KIT, with a focus on the Bamako Initiative (community-led management of essential drugs revolving funds) and on community/district health systems.

From 1992 to date, Dubbeldam has been working as a senior adviser to many development agencies, governments and private institutions, both in low- and middle-income countries. He has been involved at policy level in many countries implementing health SWAPs, supported MOH and development partners in changing attitudes and introducing procedures and mechanisms for successful SWAps and guided annual reviews of health sector performance in many countries. He supported the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in policy development on SWAP with an early (end 90ies) working paper on SWAP experiences in various low- and middle-income countries.

He has also been involved in the identification and formulation of larger technical and financial support programmes of bilateral and multilateral agencies, such as the EU. Furthermore, he has led complex evaluation processes, such as the assessment of the EU/WHO/ACP Partnership on essential medicines policies in all ACP countries (2010).

Dubbeldam is lecturing on public health topics for the Royal Tropical Institute Amsterdam (KIT/ICHD) and for the Netherlands School of Occupational and Public Health Utrecht (MSPOH).